27th Kennards Hire Rally Australia 2018 • 15-18 November

[dimviii]

Ott Tanak having also given up, Thierry Neuville has awarded for the fourth time in his career the honorary title of vice-World Champion after those of 2013, 2016 and 2017.

"After our puncture on Friday, we knew that we had lost a lot of chances of being titled this weekend," said Thierry Neuville at the microphone of Olivier Gaspard, RTBF's special correspondent in Australia. let go, we continued to attack, even if we had a lot of trouble to stay in touch on Saturday because of the sweep.Today, the rain settled, and it was our last little chance to try to go looking for the fifty seconds we were missing from Sébastien, we tried everything, it was close in the morning, and it was not spent the afternoon! We went to block in the special hoping to resume at least ten seconds, in fifteen kilometers, in delicate conditions.But quickly, it was done by a spin: when I left, I was not concentrated, I slipped a little in the mud and we hit a stump. "

Leader of the World Championship during long months in 2018, the Saint-Vithois has opened the road, swept many times and learned a lot this season. He will return to play the win, if the level of performance of his Hyundai i20 Coupe WRC allows, in 2019.

"We have sometimes been too nice this season in terms of strategy," said the Belgian driver, "M-Sport and Sébastien have used the strategy to the full, in all situations we have not often had the opportunity to to do with my teammates.These are also small details that made the difference, such as the shock absorber in Turkey, where we could have taken thirty points I think.But without the puncture here, we could do the job. has clearly seen an increase in the performance of the Toyota since five or six rallies, it is the only thing for which we can be worried now, and it will be necessary to react.The team is aware of it, and they will do everything so that we let's be better at the start of next season. "

"The sweep being first on the road I was much less sorry than Sébastien Ogier !," concluded Thierry Neuville.I did my job, knowing that it would not be easy. in the second half of the season, he was paid dearly, being almost unable to fight for the podium, and when we were, it was when we did a great job. I repeat, I think that without the puncture, we could have won the title.We have progressed as a team this year, and we know that in 2019, it will play tactically at the beginning of the season. even before congratulating Sébastien Ogier and his co-driver Julien Ingrassia, we were three crews to earn the title, but they were the ones who worked well and in the end won. "

https://www.rtbf.be/sport/moteurs/ra...0t4CO8QPLYXFM4

[denkimi]

Hyundai has been too passive in the driver market. The fact that Toyota took a title before them will not please the folks in Seoul - probably some changes to come.

They are to arrogant. They should have hired ogier, they have had several chances.

[EstWRC]

They also offered a part time deal for Tänak two years ago.

[dodge33cymru]

What a superb year that's been, both for the sport and for the coverage with WRC All Live.

I was a fully paid up member of the 'anyone but Ogier' fan club until this year, but honestly I was cheering for him for the second half of this season because it's clear that he's doing it in an inferior car to the Hyundai and Toyota and to me he's really proven his status as a legend of the sport this year; an absolute example of how to manage a championship and win a title due to having the best mentality rather than outright speed. To me this was his first real year as underdog and for that reason I'm glad to see him win.*

Delighted for Malcolm Wilson too, this was likely his last chance for a while so to achieve this with a private team is up there and arguably more impressive than Vatanen's in 1981. Now time to go focus on the new R5 for a bit...

[AL14]

They are to arrogant. They should have hired ogier, they have had several chances.

Exactly. When Volkswagen left leaving Ogier alone manufacturers almost ignored him. He asked to try their car before decide and only M-Sport and Toyota let him try it. Look at who has won championships until then.
What is better? Not let an external driver try your car? The balance among your lineup? Or winning championships?
I said this several time back then and a lot of people replied that Citroen and Hyundai were right not to do everything they could to take Ogier, because they already had contract with their drivers and it could have been a problem for the balance in the team... But at the end I was right. Citroen and Hyundai have a lot of balance in their teams but 0 titles. Others have titles.

[deephouse]

Now Malcolm need to appreciate Evans too, without him stepping back on few ocassions maybe the picture would be completely different.

[dimviii]

https://twitter.com/RallitFi/status/1064149043209736192

[AL14]

https://twitter.com/RallitFi/status/1064149043209736192

NOT you will appreciate this, please watch it

[Barreis]

they would win a $hit without Tanak

[lnvs]

they would win a $hit without Tanak

And what would M-Sport win without Ogier or Hyundai without Neuville?

In case you didn't notice Latvala and Lappi both have +40 points more than 2nd best Hyundai or M-Sport driver.